1、考研英语（阅读）-试卷 127 及答案解析(总分：70.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：7，分数：70.00)1.Section II Reading Comprehension（分数：10.00）_2.Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D.（分数：10.00）_Organizations and societies rely on fines and rewar
2、ds to harness people“s self-interest in the service of the common good. The threat of a ticket keeps drivers in line, and the promise of a bonus inspires high performance. But incentives can also backfire, diminishing the very behavior they“re meant to encourage. A generation ago, Richard Titmuss cl
3、aimed that paying people to donateblood reduced the supply. Economists were skeptical, citing a lack of empirical evidence. But since then, new data and models have prompted a sea change in how economists think about incentivesshowing, among other things, that Titmuss was right often enough that bus
4、inesses should take note. Experimental economists have found that offering to pay women for donating blood decreases the number willing to donate by almost half, and that letting them contribute the payment to charity reverses the effect. Dozens of recent experiments show that rewarding self-interes
5、t with economic incentives can backfire when they undermine what Adam Smith called “the moral sentiments.“ The psychology here has escaped blackboard economists, but it will be no surprise to people in business: When we take a job or buy a car, we are not only trying to get stuffwe are also trying t
6、o be a certain kind of person. People desire to be esteemed by others and to be seen as ethical and dignified. And they don“t want to be taken for suckers. Rewarding blood donations may backfire because it suggests that the donor is less interested in being altruistic than in making a dollar. Incent
7、ives also run into trouble when they signal that the employer mistrusts the employee or is greedy. Close supervision of workers coupled with pay for performance is textbook economicsand a prescription for sullen employees. Perhaps most important, incentives affect what our actions signal, whether we
8、“re being self-interested or civic-minded, manipulated or trusted, and they can implysometimes wronglywhat motivates us. Fines or public rebukes that appeal to our moral sentiments by signaling social disapproval (think of littering) can be highly effective. But incentives go wrong when they offend
9、or diminish our ethical sensibilities. This does not mean it“s impossible to appeal to self-interested and ethical motivations at the same timejust that efforts to do so often fail. Ideally, policies support socially valued ends not only by harnessing self-interest but also by encouraging public-spi
10、ritedness. The small tax on plastic grocery bags enacted in Ireland in 2002 that resulted in their virtual elimination appears to have had such an effect. It punished offenders monetarily while conveying a moral message. Carrying a plastic bag joined wearing a fur coat in the gallery of anti-social
11、anachronisms.（分数：10.00）(1).From the first two paragraphs, we know that _.（分数：2.00）A.organizational and social progresses depend on economic incentivesB.economic incentives actually discourage people to behave wellC.economists didn“t agree with Titmuss for the lack of empirical evidenceD.economists n
12、ow prompt businesses to note down Titmuss“s claim(2).According to experimental economists, _.（分数：2.00）A.more money is offered, fewer people donate bloodB.economic incentives may run in the opposite directionC.a decreasing number of people donate blood for charityD.economic incentives clash with “the
13、 moral sentiments“(3).We know from the text that incentives are characterized as _.（分数：2.00）A.counterproductiveB.manipulatingC.implicativeD.effective(4).The small tax on plastic grocery bags in Ireland is mentioned to show that _.（分数：2.00）A.Ireland is determined to eliminate plastic pollutionB.incen
14、tive policies by the government are more effectiveC.incentives can harness egoism and inspire altruismD.monetary punishments usually have moral implications(5).The text intends to tell us that _.（分数：2.00）A.businesses might as well put economic incentives to fuller playB.incentives have more negative
15、 influences than positive onesC.money is not everything, instead, there is always something elseD.incentives may go wrong when they clash with “the moral sentiments“Those days are long gone when placing a telephone call meant simply picking up the receiver and asking the operator to patch you throug
16、h. Modern cell phones require users to navigate a series of menus to find numbers, place calls or check messages. Even the most tech-savvy may take weeks to discover some of the more mysterious multimedia functions. Imagine the difficulty forsomeone unable to read. That is the challenge for mobile c
17、ommunications companies aiming to branch out into developing countries. The prospects seen from the last decade are alluring: only about one tenth of India“s population use cell phones. But selling to poor rural areas is not likely to happen with a marketing version of “plug and play.“ Most potentia
18、l buyers have little exposure to anything other than simple electronics. Reading through a series of hierarchical menus and pushing buttons for multiple purposes would be new concepts for such customers. To come up with a suitable device, Motorola relied on a team of anthropologists, psychologists a
19、nd designers to study how textually illiterate villagers use their aging televisions, tape players and phones. The researchers noticed that their subjects would learn each button“s dedicated function. With something more complicated, such as an automated teller machine, users would memorize a set of
20、 behaviors in order, which allowed them to move through the machine“s basic hierarchy without having to read the menu. The research, which lasted three years, led Motorola to craft a cellular phone slimmed down to three essential activities: calling, managing numbers and simple text messaging. “A lo
21、t of the functions in a cell phone are not useful to anyone,“ points out Gabriel White, who headed the interactive design team. The icon-based interface also required thought. Not all cell phone companies believe that a design for nonliterate users should start from scratch. Nokia“s behavioral resea
22、rchers noticed that “newbies“ rely on friends and relatives to help them with basic functions. Rather than confronting the challenge of a completely new interface, Nokia chose to provide some audio menus in its popular 1100 model and a preview mode so that people could try out functions without the
23、risk of changing anything important. Mobile phones may even become tools for literacy, predicts BJ Fogg, who studies computer-human interaction at Stanford University. Phones might teach the alphabet or tell a story as users read along. “Imagine if it eventually could understand your weak points and
24、 drill you on those,“ Fogg proposes. And soon enough, he declares, designs or illiterate users will lead to more straightforward, elegant phones for everyone.（分数：10.00）(1).The difference between modem cell phones and old phones lies in that _.（分数：2.00）A.it requires more intelligence and education to
25、 use modern cell phonesB.it takes more weeks to get familiar with modern cell phonesC.modern cell phones are more complicated with many functionsD.modern cell phones are more mysterious tools for people(2).The sales of mobile phones to poor rural areas may be impossible probably because most potenti
26、al buyers _.（分数：2.00）A.have difficulty with menus of multiple purposesB.cannot accept new concepts of mobile phonesC.only read menus and push buttons of simple electronicsD.do not like the marketing strategy of “plug and play“(3).The researches held by Motorola showed that the textually illiterate v
27、illagers _.（分数：2.00）A.were willing to use old machines with little functionsB.had to take some lessons to learn the new functionsC.could remember the major function of each buttonD.would avoid reading the hierarchy menus of the machine(4).The slang term of “newbies“ (Para. 5) most probably means ._.
28、（分数：2.00）A.new studentsB.newcomersC.newbornsD.new webs(5).Fogg believes that the future mobile phones could not _.（分数：2.00）A.teach illiterates to learn alphabetsB.understand the user“s ideas and pointsC.help users exercise their languagesD.become more direct and elegantDieting, according to an old j
29、oke, may not actually make you live longer, but it sure feels that way. Nevertheless, evidence has been accumulating since the 1930s that calorie restrictionreducing an animal“s energy intake below its energy expenditureextends lifespan and delays the onset of age-related diseases in rats, dogs, fis
30、h and monkeys. Such results have inspired thousands of people toput up with constant hunger in the hope of living longer, healthier lives. They have also led to a search for drugs that mimic the effects of calorie restriction without the pain of going on an actual diet. Amid the hype (intensive publ
31、icity), it is easy to forget that no one has until now shown that calorie restriction works in humans. That omission, however, changed this month, with the publication of the initial results of the first systematic investigation into the matter. This study, known as CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment
32、 of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy), was sponsored by America“s National Institutes of Health. It took 48 men and women aged between 25 and 50 and assigned them randomly to either a control group or a calorie-restriction regime. Those in the second group were requir ed to cut their c
33、alorie intake for six months to 75% of that needed to maintain their weight. The CALERIE study is a landmark in the history of the field, because its subjects were either of normal weight or only slightly overweight. Previous projects have used individuals who were clinically obese, thus confusing t
34、he unquestionable benefits to health of reducing obesity with the possible advantages of calorie restriction to the otherwise healthy. At a molecular level, CALERIE suggests these advantages are real. For example, those on restricted diets had lower insulin resistance and lower levels of low-density
35、 lipoprotein cholesterol. They showed drops in body temperature and blood-insulin levelsboth phenomena that have been seen in long-lived, calorie-restricted animals. They also suffered less oxidative damage to their DNA. Eric Ravussin, of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, who is one of the
36、study“s authors, says that such results provide support for the theory that calorie restriction produces a metabolic adaptation over and above that which would be expected from weight loss alone. Nevertheless, such metabolic adaptation could be the reason why calorie restriction is associated with l
37、onger lifespans in other animalsand that is certainly the hope of those who, for the past 15 years, have been searching for ways of triggering that metabolic adaptation by means other than semi-starvation.（分数：10.00）(1).The evidence since the 1930s has inspired people to _.（分数：2.00）A.live longer and
38、healthierB.invent a calorie-restricting drugC.believe in calorie restrictionD.get rid of constant hunger(2).Which of the following is true about the CALERIE study?（分数：2.00）A.It proves that calorie restriction works in humans.B.It has 24 male subjects and the same number of female ones.C.It is the fi
39、rst investigation into the effects of calorie restriction.D.It lasted for six months and had the final results published.(3).What makes the CALERIE study a significant one in the field?（分数：2.00）A.It used the subjects of both genders and different ages.B.It selected people of normal weight as the sub
40、jects.C.It rectified the misconception of dieting.D.It was systematic in research method and based on evidence.(4).By saying “CALERIE suggests these advantages are real (Para. 4)“, the author is dealing with the results of the study from a _.（分数：2.00）A.general viewB.subjective viewC.macro viewD.micr
41、o view(5).It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _.（分数：2.00）A.the metabolic adaptation solely resulted from weight lossB.the metabolic adaptation can be achieved by dietingC.semi-starvation was seen as an effective means for weight lossD.people had no idea about the metabolic adaptation bef
42、ore CALERIELabor is not just a meaningful experienceit“s also a marketable one. When instant cake mixes were introduced, in the 1950s, housewives were initially resistant: The mixes were too easy, suggesting that their labor was undervalued. When manufacturers changed the recipe to require the addit
43、ion of an egg, adoption rose dramatically. Ironically, increasing the labor involvedmaking thetask more arduousled to greater liking. Research conducted with my colleagues Daniel Mochon, of Yale University, and Dan Ariely, of Duke University, shows that labor enhances affection for its results. When
44、 people construct products themselves, from bookshelves to Build-a-Bears, they come to overvalue their (often poorly made) creations. We call this phenomenon the IKEA effect, in honor of the wildly successful Swedish manufacturer whose products typically arrive with some assembly required. In one of
45、 our studies we asked people to fold origami (the Japanese art of folding paper into shapes representing objects) and then to bid on their own creations along with other people“s. They were consistently willing to pay more for their own origami. In fact, they were so fond of their amateurish creatio
46、ns that they valued them as highly as origami made by experts. We also investigated the limits of the IKEA effect, showing that labor leads to higher valuation only when the labor is fruitful: When participants failed to complete an effortful task, the IKEA effect dissipated. Our research suggests t
47、hat consumers may be willing to pay a premium for do-it-yourself projects, but there“s an important caution: Companies hoping to persuade their customers to assume labor costsfor example, by nudging them toward self-service through internet channelsshould be careful to create tasks difficult enough
48、to lead to higher valuation but not so difficult that customers can“t complete them. Finally, the IKEA effect has broader implications for organizational dynamics: It contributes to the sunk cost effect, whereby managers continue to devote resources to (sometimes failing) projects in which they have
49、 invested their labor, and to the not-invented-here syndrome, whereby they discount good ideas developed elsewhere in favor of their (sometimes inferior) internally developed ideas. Managers should keep in mind that ideas they have come to love because they invested their own labor in them may not be as highly valued by their coworkersor their customer
